Routing-rack.



F. A. MURRAY.

HOU-TING RACK.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15. 1916.

1,214,059. Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Q Q Ex? awuemtoz F P\- MURRHY mr MwRls runs to" PNOTO-LIYHO WASMINGYDN n c.

F. A. MURRAY.

ROUTING RACK.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15. 19:6.

Patented J an. 30, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

F A- MURRHY FINIS A. MURRAY, OF SEYMOUR, MISSOURI.

ROUTING-RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

Application filed April 15, 1916. Serial No. 91,394.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FINIS A. MURRAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seymour, in the county of 'Webster and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Routing- Racks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention is a routing rack moreespecially adapted for use by mail carriers in sorting for distribution.

An object of the invention is to provide a rack which shall occupy littlespace but have a maximum capacity.

Another object is to provide a rack divided so as to provide for the reception of a plurality of packages, the rack being so constructed that the various partitions or compartments, as they may be termed, of the rack may expand independently of each other.

A still further object is to provide a rack which will be light and substantial, and easily put up into an operating position.

A further object of the invention is to provide for the support of name plates in conjunction with the various compartments of the rack and to provide means whereby these name plates may be readily changed.

A practical form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the assembled rack; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the top bar and of a name plate; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the top shelf showing the spacing pins and the guiding pins; Fig. at is a perspective view showing the spacing pins of the bottom shelf to which are fastened the partitionelements; Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the shape of the name plate; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a brace; Fig. 7 is a part sectional view showing a brace under the bottom shelf; Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view indicating one method of attaching the tape in the element or section 13 shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the steel strip 18; and Fig. 10 is a small perspective view ofthe tape looped around opposed pins.

The rack comprises a top bar A, a lower shelf C, an intermediate shelf B, a series of flexible tapes extending between the top bar and the lower shelf and defining a series of compartments, the top bar and the several shelves. The top bar A of this rack may be formed as illustrated in Fig. 2, that is of three separate sections 10, 11 and 13. The sections 10 and 11 are formed on their confronting faces with sockets 12. The intermediate section 13 is formed with a series of transverse bores or apertures 15 and extending from the lower edge of the section 13 to these bores or apertures are the slots 16, as illustrated in Fig. 8. Transverse pins 14 are disposed in the sockets 12 of the sections 10 and 11 and pass through the apertures 15. These pins 1a are spaced a predetermined distance apart. Operatively connected with each one of the pins is a length of flexible material 17 such as a tape. This tape extends downwardly for a convenient distance and connects with suitable pins or spacing members carried by a lower shelf, as will later appear.

The outer surface or face of the section 11 of the top bar A has its lower edge rounded. The vertical face of this section 11 carries a steel strip 18 which is provided with a rib 19 to engage with a corresponding groove or channel 20 formed in the face of the section 11. The upper edge of this strip 18 projects beyond the face of the section 11 a slight distance. A name plate 21 shown in Fig. 5 "s provided at its upper end with a hook portion, a depending portion substantially straigl'it and a bottom portion curving inwardly. This shape adapts the name plate when hooked on the upper edge of the strip 18 to tion 11. The sections 10, 11 and 13, comprising the top bar A, after assembly, may be connected together by any suitable means, as an ordinary wood screw 22.

Suspended at a convenient distance below the top bar is the top shelf B. This top shelf comprises two spaced sections 23 and 2d. Secured to the shelves 23 and 2 1 are longitudinal strips 25 and 26. The confronting faces of the two shelves 23 and 24 along their length are formed with a plurality of sockets. These sockets are in alinement with each other. To space these shelves 23 and 24: apart a distance which will correspond to the width of the tape 17, the spacing elements 27 are provided, which are inserted in the said sockets. These elements 27 may be of any convenient shape or form but are illustrated in Fig. 3 as being conform to the profile of the secand 'rneans for supporting ordinary dowel pins. In the strips 25 and-26 27. To space the tapes andhold the tapes in a straight suspended condition between the top bar and the lower shelf, the tapes are disposed :between the pairs of pins 27.

The strips 25 and 26 0f the shelves 23 and 24 are provided with means for supporting name plates 18, which means is the same as that previously described for the bar A. One of these name plates 21 is illustrated in Fig. 3.

Suspended a convenient distance below the shelves 23 and 24: is a bottom shelf C, which consists of the sections or shelves 28 and 29. e The facing edges of these bottom Shelves are provided with sockets which are in alinement with each other and in these sockets are disposed spacing pins 30 which hold the two sections apart the width of the tape 17 and provide a means for attaching the lower end of the tapes 17 to the shelfsections 28 and 29.

The top bar is supported by supporting members 31 which may be formed of metal rods bent to embrace the top bar, then being disposed in divergent relation passing through the shelf sections 23 and 24, then extending straight downward and passing through the shelf sections 28 and 29 and being attached at their lower ends to a base 34. The top bar A is engaged with these supporting members 31by means of the transverse braces 33 each formed of a strip of metal having beads at its extremities, as shown in Fig. 6, embracing the rods 31. The shelf sections 23 ported in proper position by means of lock braces 33. The legs of the supporting members 31 below the shelf sections 28 and 29 are connected by means of transverse braces 37, these braces 37 however being spaced from the shelf sections 28 and 29, as illus trated in Fig. 7, so that the weight of these shelf sections will exert a tcnsioning force upon'the flexible tapes 17. This tensioning force is further increased by contractile springs 35 which, as illustrated in Fig. 7, are attached to the shelf sections 28 and 29 attheir upper ends and extend down and are attached at their lower ends to the foot or base 34. It will be seen that the shelves B.

and vC may be moved nearer to or farther from each other and that the supportlng members 31 may be so formed that a greater number of shelves than two may be usedand that these shelves may be ad usted.

,As illustrated in Fig. 8, the end of the tape-17 is .brought around the pin 12, the two thicknesses of the tape being :inserted in and 2% are also supthe slot 16. A simpler construction is to connect the ends of the tapes, as shown in Fig. 10,, and loop them over the pins 14 and 30, the section 13 merely acting as a spacing strip under these circumstances and not extending down around the pin as in Fig. 8.

When this type of construction is used, the 7 number of pins will be one-half asmany as with the construction illustrated and should a tape break, it is more easily replaced without disturbing the top bar assembly. The tape may then be threaded and looped over the pins in the top bar and over those in the lower shelf, when the free endsmay be secured to each other inany suitable manner, as shown in Fig. 10, that will make a continuous length.

By means of the name plates 21, there is provided for each one of the spaces between the flexible elements 17, a definite position for the distribution of mail, these name plates corresponding to the house numbers enable the asserting of mail to be rapidly made. A new name plate'may be readily inserted at any desired point by sliding the name plates along the strip 19 or, if desired,

the name plate may be detached from the strips and a new plate inserted. By having these name plates detachable fromthe strip 18, provision is made for changes due to changes in service onthe route. I

Attention is called to the fact that because maximum amount of mail matter. This is obviated by my construction, while at the same time the packages of'mail' matter are packages of mail held separate and held in conjunctionwith the 'apertured -name plates. inasmuch as the tapes pass loosely through the-shelf B and loosely through the guiding pins 27,- the compartments between the lower shelf C and the shelf B or between the shelf B and the topbar A may be filled with. dif ferent sized packages. Inasmuch as the shelf B is formed of two sections extending on each side of the tapes, the tapes pass through the shelf B and through the shelf 0.

As a consequence, mail matter may be dis posed between the tapes and extend across and over both sections of the shelfand thus be supported against any disengagement from the tapes and from falling. wouldnot be the case wasv the shelf disposed only on one side of the tapes.

Minor changes inthe form and details of Furth ermore,

This

construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

hat is claimed is 1. A routing rack comprising a top bar, a shelf, and a plurality of spaced flexible elements extending between the bar and shelf, the shelf holding the elements under tension.

A routing rack comprising a top bar, a plurality of spaced flexible elements depending from the top bar, a shelf through which said elements pass, and means for yieldingly holding the elements under tension.

3. A. rack of the character described including a supporting bar, a plurality of flexible bands attached to the bar and extending therefrom, means for yieldingly tensioning the bands, and a shelf through which said bands pass, the shelf extending on each side of the bands.

4 A rack of the character described including an upper supporting bar, a plurality of flexible bands attached to the upper bar and depending therefrom, a shelf consisting of two sections, the sections being disposed on each side of the flexible bands, and means for yieldably tensioning the bands, said means being disposed below said shelf.

A rack of the character described including an upper supporting bar, a plurality of flexible bands attached to the upper bar and depending therefrom and disposed in spaced relation to each other, a plurality of shelves disposed in vertical spaced relation and through which said bands loosely pass, and means for yieldably tensioning the bands.

6. A rack of the character described incl uding an upper supporting bar, a plurality of flexible bands attached to the bar and depending therefrom and disposed in spaced relation to each other, a lower shelf suspended by the bands and extending laterally on each side of the bands, and an intermediate shelf through which said bands pass.

7. A. rack of the character described in cluding an upper supporting bar, a plurality of flexible bands attached to the bar and depending therefrom and disposed in spaced relation to each other, a lower shelf suspended by the bands, an intermediate shelf through which said bands .pass, and means on the shelf for spacing the bands from each other.

8. A rack of the character described com- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,

prising a top supporting bar, flexible bands disposed at intervals along the top supporting bar and depending therefrom, the plane of each band being at right angles to the length of the supporting bar, a pair of shelf sections disposed at the lower ends of the bands and between which the lower ends of the bands pass, means on said shelf sections for engaging the lower ends of the bands to thereby support the shelf sections on the bands and tension the latter, and a pair of shelf sections rigidly supported intermediate the bar and the first named shelf sections and between which the bands pass, there being means on the second named shelf sections for spacing said bands from each other.

9. A rack of the character described comprising supports, a supporting bar mounted upon said supports, a. plurality of flexible bands extending downward from the supporting bar, a lower shelf composed of two sections disposed on each side of the bands and having transversely extending pins with which the bands engage, and a pair of intermediate shelf sections spaced from each other to permit the passage of the band between them, said last named shelf sections being rigidly supported on said supporting members.

10. A rack of the character described comprising a top member, a plurality of flexible elements depending from the top member, means for holding said flexible elements tensioned, and a shelf composed of spaced sections, the shelf being disposed below the top member and the flexible elements passing between the shelf sections, and a plurality of guide pins disposed in pairs between said shelf sections, each of said pairs of pins cooperating with one of the flexible elements.

11. A routing rack of the character described comprising vertical separating members disposed in spaced relation from each other, a bar extending transversely to the separating members and coacting therewith, the bar having a face plate extending slightly above it, and a plurality of :name plates, each plate being bent at its upper end to form a relatively flat hook engageable over the projecting edge of the face plate.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FINIS A. MURRAY.

Vitnesses:

M. E. COCHRAN, C. H. WHITE.

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

